First Friday Giveaway – DECEMBER

hi everyone, well the festive season has started around here and as we are almost at the end of our Ornament Swap, I thought a little selection of similar ornaments I made for my swap partners would be perfect for my First Friday Giveaway for December.

These are all hand-made with glass, ribbon, wire some with a heart or star. I’m going to give away 3 sets of 3 ornaments so 3 of you have a lovely chance of winning this month. The winner will be selected randomly and Ill announce on my post next Tuesday.

Pop back on Sunday also and I’ll post a “how I made these”.

TO WIN: All you need to do is add a comment below telling me about the ornament that has the most memory for you this holiday season. If you dont have one, then let me know about your favourite ornament and why its your favourite.

For me, my most memorable ornament is the fairy that still today sits on the top of the Christmas tree in my parents house. Every year for as long as I can remember my mum would bring out our little fairy who had been asleep all year with the other decorations. She was an old doll of mine, about 6 inches tall, with a big smile on her face and blonde curly hair. Her fairy dress was all white with glitter and we had made it out of crepe paper (she got a new dress a few years ago!) She has a silver wand with a star in one hand and the other hand holds a paper bottle of champagne! I love seeing her on the top of the tree, smiling down on the family, casting some wishes for the festive season and year ahead.

Whats your most memorable ornament or Christmas decoration and why?

14 Comments

Phoenix Peacock
on December 3, 2010 at 7:03 pm

almost all the decorations on my mothers tree hold a memory. She eventually had so many that she got rid of any that didn't. There is a Raggedy Ann doll ( a little one) that arrived on the flower bouquet my dad sent to her when my sister was born (dad was deployed at the time). There is the little clay turtle ornament I made in preschool when I was in the turtle class. There is even the little angel ornament my mom got for her first christmas. and the ornaments her mother made.

I love my mothers tree and cant wait to have one of my own where every ornament is meaningful and tells a story!

All of our ornaments were store bought when I was a kid. They were those balls covered in the silky threads that always seem to unravel. For some reason I still love seeing those because they remind me of the Christmases when I was still excited about getting the new Barbie. Those were the days when I could sit at the foot of the Christmas tree and watch the color wheel go round and round, changing the tree from green, to red, to yellow, to green, over and over again. The tree back then was aluminum, by the way.:-)

Those ornaments are darling!I remember the plastic candy garland that was on our tree when I was little, I loved it! I think my mom probably threw it out, but I wish I had it now just to feel like a kid again! 🙂 I also loved that my mom would put cloves in oranges and set them around the house, it smelled sooooo good! I think I will have to do that this year!

All my ornaments are store bought, which I started collecting the first Xmas my (now) husband and I started dating. The one that holds the most memories for me is a picture holding ornament, which I have my sons pic in it…but it's no ordinary pic. He's 3mo old in the pic (he's now 2!), wearing a too big santa hat, and the moment I caught on camera is of him sticking his tongue out. It is the most adorable pic and always brings me back to when he was first born. I plan to collect 1 ornament for each child and then give them their ornaments when they move out, etc…but I'm not so sure I'll be able to part with that one. 🙂

I have had many favorite ornaments over the years, but these days my fav. is one that I had made for my mom after I moved out… it looks like a sugar cookie in the shape of a christmas tree and it has 5 little santa-face ornaments on it, one for each of us (my parents, my 2 siblings & me). I had our names written on it, as a way to show my mom that i was not so far away. When my dad passed away it took on even more meaning for me, and now when I help decorate mom's tree, I always hang it in a place of honor on the front of the tree, at eye level.

I love thinking back on childhood memories. My Dad found great joy in finding the biggest of whatever he was looking for, be it pumpkin, turkey, or tree. He was a train engineer, and once brought home a huge Christmas tree on the train. We thought this was the funniest thing ever. That year we only used handmade ornament. Most of them were made of construction paper and glitter. It started snowing the night we decorated that huge tree. We had a magical Christmas that year.

My tree has none of the baubles that I bought for our first Christmas together – instead it has the fir cone with glitter, and the robin from a small piece of wood: staff the girls made at pre school, and all the decorations they have made since, at school, at Sunday school, at home. Plus ones we have bought on holiday, or been given. And now I have my first two swaps o add to the collection if memories. Thanks Louise, for arranging it.

A red sled made from popsicle sticks with my name on it and the gold angel that held court on the top of the tree when I was little. In my mind's eye, she was huge, but she's really just a nice handheld size who now holds court on the mantel.

It is hard to choose just one ornament, but if i had to, I'd say this mouse ornament my aunt made for me when I was 18. It is made with Styrofoam covered with the sequins and beads held with pins. Ok, tacky by todays standards. Every year I always hang that one in a place of honor. I also have a few ornaments that were handmade by people no longer with us that I cherish. I have a hand embroidered cat my sister made. My mother-in-law, who was not *crafty* also made me an ornament. Even though these people cannot be with us, I still have a piece of them through their artwork.

My most memorable ornament is the one I just made for this swap. When I was in high school, my mother decided she was done with Christmas and all the festivities, so she gave away all of our ornaments. This action really hurt my heart. So, I am now with this challenge starting to collect ornaments again.

When I first read this the other day I wasn't sure what my fav ornament was.

Yesterday we trimmed the tree and when I came across the ornament one of my oldest friends gave me I knew it was one of my favorites. It is a expectant parents ornament that she gave us shortly after we found out our little bundle of joy was coming. It brings back such a happy time.

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Hi, I'm Louise and thank you so much for visiting me here. I am a mixed media artist, who is passionate about combining the healing energy of nature and color with the meditative process of mandala making

Here, you will find blog posts about my own creative journey, resources & tools to help you dream, be inspired and create!